Party-line-indicating key.



C. C. BRADBURY.' PARTY LINE INDIGATING 1mmV lAPPLICATION FILEDAUG.3.1907.

899,024, Patented Sept. 22, 1908.

2 SHEETSSHEBT l.

Jl. NHD

C. C. BRADBURY. PARTY LINE INDIGATING KEY. APPLICATION FILED AUG,'J.1901.

Patented sept. 22, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED- sTATEs iuifiiiivr OFFICE.

CLIFFORE C. BRADBURY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO KELLOGG SWTCIIBOARD Speccation uf Lettera Patent.

.\"D SUPPLY COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ELLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Patented Sept. 22, 1908..

Application illedugust 3, 1907. Serial No. 386,897.

| T o ull rMiom 'it may concern.'

Bc it known' thnt'I, CLIFFORD C. BRAD- BURY, n citizen of the UnitedStates, residin f in Chicago, county of Cook, :ind Stute o Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inParty-Liiie-Indicnting Keys, of which the followingis ospeciiicntion.

My invention relates to party line. ringing keys for telephone systems,and especially to that class of ringing keys known :is indicating keys.

One object of my invention is to provide e. key which shall give readyand ositive indication tothe o erntor which o the buttons of the key wasast depressed.

Another object is to provide c key inexpensive to manufacture anddursbleand eilicient in operation.

Still further objects will sppehr from the following description andclaims.

In carrving out my invention, I preferably provide the up er or flatsurface of 'each of the buttons wit i n white line and. arrange themechanical structure of the device such that the last-button depressedrotates onc-fourth of the way round in its return from actu ating tounactuating position and remains in its rotated position with the whiteline standing at rilght nngles to its normal position unti snot erbut-ton is depressed. rangement the operator' if request-ed to ring a.second time on a'telephone party line can by a single glance at theindicating key observe which of the keys was lost depressed, therebysaving the annoyance of inquiring of the calling subscriber which of theparties on the line was desired.

My invention is illustrated in the accomi. panying drawing in whichFigure 1 is o plan View showing one of the buttons in its indicatingposition; Fig. 2 is n front elevation; Fig. 3 is s longitudinal scctionthrough one of the plungers taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 6 Fig. 4 1s aright scction of one of the plungers as it appears when the button is inits non-indicating position; Fig. 5 is a right section of one of theplungers as it appears when the button is in its indicti-ting position;Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the device; Fir'. Tis o section of 'thekey taken on line 7 7 of `ig. 6; Fig. 8 shows the rot-nt. ing cam whenthe plunger is in its depressed position; Fig. 9 shows the rota-tin caniwhen the plunger is in its released and` indicating position, and Fig.10 is an isometric view of By this arthreaded on the extending ends ofthe rods.

Each of these tubular plungers 6 carries an enlargement 10 slotted oneach side to engage the guide plates 11 to prevent the rotation of theplungers 6. Upon this enlargement is carried the rubber knob 12 foractuating the switch sprinvs, this knob being secured to the plunger bymeans of the screw 13 Such that the depression of the plunger forces theknob between the sloping ends ofthe long switch springs end delectsthese springs to change their contact from normal to actu# stingosition. At a point on plunger 6 some distance below the enlargement 10is thc cedar 15 auinst which the coil spring 16 abutsto hold the plungernormally in its uppermost position. Slightl f above, this collar 15is'a. slot 17 extending t iroiwh the wall of thc plunger 6, throughwhich tlic pin 18 rojects, this pin being securely held in a ho o in therod 8. The extending end of the pin 18 is engaged by the lower end ofthc coilspring 19, this spring being under torsional compression suchthat it tends lo hold the pin 18 11p thc position in the slot 17indicated in ivotcd between posts 2 und 3 is a cam plate 22 shownparticularly in Fig. l0. This plate is ndnptcd to rock slightly upon thescrews 23 and 24 and is normally held with thc* upper portion of theplates pressed inwardly by the spring 25. four prongs 26, one adapted toregister with cach of the vertically reciprocating plungcrs;

The upper end of cncli of thcsc prongs is Aturned inwardly und istwisted to form the cams 27.

'hcn thc key button is depressed the pinlS engages the point of cam 27on thc surface indicated by 2S of Fig. 10. This roc-ks the pliitc withits four ca ms outwardly until the pin 1S passes the lower point o This`p me 22 has io the ccm. i i0 The plate 22 `with its four cams is thenforced in by the spring 25 such that on the return stroke the pinISengages the cam upon the face o )posite 2S as shown in Fig. S. Theaction oithe ca in surface upon t-iie pin 1S in the upward increment ofthe plunver rotates the inner rod and button such t-.iat when tneplunger reaches its uppermost position the pin 18 has been moved againstthe pressure of the spriiii7 19 to the position in the slot 15, at rightaiiges to its normal osition. `When in this position the end of t ie pinabuis the surface of the cam indicated by 30 in Fig. ,l0 and the pinassumes the position shown in Fig. 5. When any other key is depressedand the plate is avain rocked outwardly by the action of another pin onthe face 28 of cam 27 the'pin which was formerly engaged' by the face 30of one of the cams, is release by the movement of the pla-te, allowingthe spring 19 to rotate the ro( and button cback to theirnormalpositions.

` -The plate 22 is provided with the extended finger 31 which passesthrough the slot 32 in the top plate so that if it is desired, theopera-tor may at any time release the last button depressed from itsindicating position without depressing another button. This provision isnot necessary unless all four of the buttons are simultaneouslydepressed, in which case they will all assume the indicating positionand there will be no other means than the finger 31 for again releasinfithem. It is to be understood that this indicating feature may be usedwith any selective signaling system, and that the arrangement of contactsprings shown is not essentially a feature of my invention, it beingpossible to use any other combination of switch springs withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In an operators indicating ralit of switch actuating buttons, eachutton iaving a normal unactuating positionl a depressed actuatingposition and a partially rotated unactuating indicating position,substantially as descri ed.

2. In an operators indicating key, the

tons supported bythe frame, each button being adapted to rotate to anindicatieft position after it has been depressed and re eased,substantially as'described. Y

3. In an operator's indicating key, the combination with a plurality ofsets of switch springs, of a vertically reciprocating button foractuating each set, and means to indicate the last button depressed bthe angular posit-ion of the buttons upon t ieir reciprocating axis,substantially as described.

4. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a plurality ofsets of switch springs, of a plurality of actuating buttons,

Y described.

-for each of said switchsprings, a button forkey, 'a lu-V one for eachset of springs, each button having a reciprocating movement for theactuv ation of t ic springs and a rotary movement for 'indicatingpurposes, substantially as described. 1 5. In an operators indicatingkey, the combination with a plurality of sets of switch springs, a..plurality of buttons, each adapted to be depressed to individuallyactuate itsf associated set of switch springs, said buttons havingnormally a symmetrical appearance, j and means to rotate the button lastdepressed out of its symmetrical )osition with respect to the otherbuttons, su stantially as 6. In an operators indicating key, thecombination with a plurality of sets of switch 4 springs, of a pluralityof actuating buttons, one for each set of springs, said buttons havingreciprocating and rotating movement, means to partially rotate the lastbutton depressed and released, and means to restore the rotated bu-ttonto normal position when` another button is depressed, substantially asdescribed.

7. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a suitableframe, of a plurality of sets of switch sprinvs mounted therein, aplurality of actuating pclungers, one

each plunger, means for actuatingthe switch springs w en the associatedbutton is dercssed, means for rotating the button about itsreciprocating axis when the button is re leased, and means to restorethe button to its normal position when any other button is derv pressedto its actuating position, substantially as described. A

8. In an operatcrs indicating key, the combination with a. suitableframe, of a plurality of reciprocating actuating plungers mounted insaidframe, an auxiliary plunger carried within each of said actuatingplungers, a button carried upon the endof the auxiliary plunger, aprojection upon each of the auxiliary plungers extending through a. slotin the actuating plunger, a cain surface adapted to be engaged by eachof said project-ions to rotate the auxiliary plunger and button when theactuating plunger is deressed and released, a pivoted plate carr ingsaid cam surfaces, and means to tilt tlire plate upon its pivots when anactuating plunger is depressed, whereby the last rotated plunger isreleased, and a spring to restore the auxiliary plunger to its normalposition, substantially as described.

9. In an operators indicating key, the combination with a suitableframe, of a. plu'- rality of plungers mounted in said frame, a pluralityof cams,'one associated with cach of said plungers, a pivoted platecarrying said cams, a spring for holding .the plunger nor.- mally in itsu permost position, means carried by the p unger for engaging `itsassociatedrihen'the lunger is depressed to its lower position, sai(means being enga ed by the surface of the cam to rotate the p unger astlie plunger returns to its upermost posit-ion, sa-d means being engageby the cam to maintain the plunger in its rotated position after theplunger has reached its uppermost position, the pivoted plate and itscams being moved b the depression of any other plunger, where y theengaging means is reeased and the plunger is restored to its normalposition, substantially as described.A

10. In an operators indicating key, the

combination with a plurality of-switcha'ctuating buttons, of means toindicate the last 115'` button depressed and released to its normalheight by the external appearance of the button itself, substantially asdescribed.

Signed by me at Chica o, county of Cook, and tate of Illinois, in twitnesses.' Y CLIFFORD C. BRADBURY. Witnesses: I l

M ABJORIE E. GRIER. Enrru F. Grunn.

e presence of two 2o

